Method for blending and portioning meat and other food products

ABSTRACT

In respect to the method, slices of the product to be processed, illustratively but not limited to slices cut from a pre-frozen block of random-distributed meat cuts, are gravitationally assembled in lamina-wise in a succession of rotatively traveling pockets, in which they are shaped and compressed as a stack. When a charge or portion represented by such a stack reaches a predetermined height it acts as a cam to trigger a pneumatically powered ejector in its pocket. The charge is ejected in a compacted and knife-trimmed form, having been volumetrically weighed quite accurately. In respect to the apparatus, a horizontally rotated air manifold and multiple pocket sub-assembly passes its annular series of charge blending and forming pockets beneath a large, horizontally journalled compactor wheel. A manifold of the subassembly supplies pressure air for a number of spool-type pilot valve devices, one traveling with each pocket, which devices are individually triggered when the pocket charge thickens enough to raise the compactor wheel slightly. The effect of this is to open a master, full pocket detector valve, which pressurizes the pilot devices, and they in turn control the pressurization of ejector cylinders, one traveling with each pocket, to eject the completed product charge from its pocket, also to lower the ejector prior to another machine cycle.

United States Patent 1 1111 3,769,036

Garnett 1 Oct. 30, 1973 METHOD FOR BLENDING AND processed, illustratively but not limited to slices cut PORTIONING MEAT AND OTHER FOOD from a pre-frozen block of random-distributed meat PRODUCTS cuts, are gravitationally assembled in lamina-wise in a succession of rotatively traveling pockets, in which [75] Inventor: Dmald Carma Grand Ledge they are shaped and compressed as a stack. When a Mlch' charge or portion represented by such a stack reaches [73] Assignee: Mahogany Farms, Inc., williamston, a predetermined height it acts as a cam to trigger a Mich. pneumatically powered ejector in its pocket. The

. char e is e'ected in a com acted and knife-trimmed [22] Flled: 1972 for-m havin g been volumetr cally weighed quite accu- [21] Appl. No.: 215,225 rately.

Related Application Data In respect to the apparatus, a horizontally rotated air [62] Division of S61. No. 847 297 Aug. 4 1969 Pat. No. manifold l mumple pocket.sub'assembly passes 3 683 annular senes of charge blending and forming pockets beneath a large, horizontally joumalled compactor 52 U.S. c1. 426/231, 426/513 wheel manifdd the subassembly Supplies 51 1111.01. A22c 18/00 Pressure M """K P" valve [58] Field of Search 99/107, 108, 194, devices Pmkev Whlch devices 99/187 188 4501 are individually triggered when the pocket charge thickens enough to raise the compactor wheel slightly.

[56] Reterences Cited ghe effect pf thish ishto open a mzister, lfulldpocket etector va ve, w 10 ressunzes t e rot evices,

UNITED STATES PATENTS and they in turn centre? the pressurizatizm of ejector 2,527,493 10/1950 Condon 99/194 ylinders, one traveling with each pocket, to eject the 2,752,252 6/1956 Condon 99/194 completed product charge from its pocket also to lower the ejector prior to another machine cycle. Primary Examiner-Hyman Lord AttrneyFranklin E. Quale [57] ABSTRACT In respect to the method, slices of the product to be 10 Claims, Drawing Figures l 128 X I 5 y 9s a 33 l 14 j K lOO Q PAIENIEDncrsu ms v 3,769,036 sum 30; a

ile?) a PATENIEUncr so 1973 SHEET k 0F 8 FIG.4D

PAIENIEDumso ms sum 7 OF 8 FIGS PATENTED ncr 30 ms SHEET 8 UF 8 METHOD FOR BLENDING AND PORTIONING MEAT AND OTHER FOOD PRODUCTS This is a division, of U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 847,297, filed Aug. 4, 1969, U.S. Pat. No. 3,683,793 issued Aug. 15, 1972.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION FIELD The method and apparatus will find application in various fields relating to the amalgamation or blending, volumetric weighing, and in most cases forming, of individual charges built up from discrete laminar charge components. Typically, and as illustrated herein (but by not means exclusively) the laminae may be prefrozen slices of steak or other meat, and the completed charge will, after possible further product augmentation for very accurate weight, compacting and/or shaping the charge to resemble a steak, be sealable at a fraction of a good steaks price. However, the use of the method and apparatus may well extend to other fields than that of food processing, in which the product charge components are other than slice-like; for example, charges of particulate material for sintering. I know of no prior art dealing pertinently with the area of the invention, either in respect to the method or the equipment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION As indicated above, the invention has both method and apparatus aspects, which may be jointly summarized. The method concept will be described in terms of the processing of a pre-frozen meat product, typically beef, with the objective of transforming relatively inexpensive meat cuts into portions suitable to be sold at a given uniform price as special steaks, as distinguished from the well-known salisbury steak or hamburger mixture. However, as indicated above, both the method and apparatus have utility and advantages in the processing or production of charges or portions composed of laminar slices or discrete particles or pieces of edible substances other than meat, and nonedible materials; and in the processing of such substances or materials certain of the procedures applicable to an edible meat product may well not have application in the same degree as other steps.

As herein shown and described, the method, which overall contemplates a considerable degree of automation in the preparation of portions of predetermined individual weight, involves the freezing of blocks of inexpensive beefsteak cuts laid out in vertical tiers of random-distributed cuts disposed in side-to-side relation to one another in each tier, so that, for example, a relatively fatty portion of one cut will usually be disposed in lateral juxtaposition to a non-fatty portion, and so forth.

A pre-frozen block measuring, for instance, 20 inches in length by 8 inches in width by inches in height, is then shaved, preferably in a freezing atmosphere, into thin pieces or slices, which are progressively fed in series into the gravity feed-in-funnel for a horizontally rotary charge blending and forming rotor assembly of the invention, for example, through the agency of a belt conveyor disposed radially of the equipments rotary axis.

It is an object of the invention to mix widely separated slices of frozen beef in the formation of a given steak portion, such slices being formed and compressed in volumetric measuring pockets of the rotor equipment to a desired portion size. The compressed charges or portions may be a trifle less in mass than sufficient to represent the ultimate desired weight of formed steak. That is, for an ultimate serving portion amounting to 3.5 ounce, the finally formed, blended and compacted charge may, for example, weigh 3.4 ounce, with a slight make-up component being later added to bring the completed portion to full weight. Similarly, for an ultimate 6-ounce portion, the weight as compacted by the presently disclosed equipment might amount to, say, 5.9 ounces.

It is a basic objective and advantage of the disclosed method and apparatus that the processing of the shaved portions in the pockets is carried out at high speed, for example, delivering twenty-four 3.4 ounce portions per minute, to the end that the portions have an absolute minimum of time exposure to air, hence discoloration of the meat is avoided. Excellent flavor is preserved.

As fed from the machines gravity feed-in-funnel, the slices are successively deposited in traveling forming pockets on the rotor, being progressively compressed individually by a rotary, downwardly resiliently biased compactor wheel beneath which the pockets successively pass; and an important factor in this operation is that successive pockets will receive successively different slices of meat product from the belt. Hence there is a continuous and random blending and amalgamating of the character of the meat throughout the mass of each compacted pocket charge.

Moreover the slicing of the meat product for subsequent compaction serves to tenderize the ultimate serving or portion, with the natural meat juices sealed in a relatively dense and void-free portion.

The size of built-up porduct charges is employed as a means to terminate the compacting procedure, and to automatically trigger the ejection of each completed charge or portion from its forming pocket. As the charges are completed in the pockets, they are severed by the compactor wheel s forcing constituent product slices onto knife edges defining the pockets; and upon completion and severance, each pocket charge itself elevates the compactor wheel.

The elevation is slight in degree, but it causes a master full charge detector valve unit of the machine to open and communicate an air pressure supply line with spool-type pilot valves traveling with the pockets of the equipment, there being one such valve for each pocket. In turn, an ejector cylinder for each pocket is instantaneously pressurized, under control of the associated pilot valve, thus to elevate an ejector platen or pad in the pocket and discharge the completed charge or portion from its pocket. In accordance with this aspect of the invention, provision is made to control the effective volume of product in the pocket, as through the simple agency of a replaceable shim supporting the ejector pad or platen at a desired distance above the bottom of each pocket, which distance may be varied by a selection of a shim or appropriate thickness.

Having thus been ejected from the pockets, the charges are swept from the rotary pocket-carrying member of the equipment into a receiving chute, as by a rotor-driven horizontal sweep-off belt or fixed sweepoff plough; and immediately following this operation, an automatic operation of the pilot valve unit for each ejector cylinder operates to lower the pockets ejector pad to a position ready for another cycle of operation of the method and apparatus.

In further accordance with the invention, various provisions are made in the interest of hygiene to enable an easy dismantling and cleaning of the equipment, thus to meet and comply with local state and federal sanitation standards, as well as to enable a change in mass and weight of the portions produced by the equipment.

In the description to follow reference is made to a plurality of rotatively traveling pilot air-controlled valve units. These operate quite independently of one another and might, therefore, be independent identical constructions. However, in the interest of low overall production of multiple valve equipment the pilot valve passaging of the units in question is formed in a rotary ring member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus of the invention, as viewed from a side thereof at which the product to be blended and portioned is supplied to the equipment;

FIG. 2 is a similar perspective view, but from the approximately opposite side of the equipment, showing certain blended and portioned charges in eject position ready for delivery from the equipment;

FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of the apparatus;

FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C are successive related views from left to right of the improved apparatus, being partially broken away and sectioned on a line corresponding to line 4-4 of FIG. 3, i.e., in a vertical plane including both the axis of rotation of its combined air manifold and charge forming and blending pocket rotor and the axis of its compactor wheel;

FIG. 4D is a fragmentary view in vertical section on line 4D4D of FIG. 4C, showing further structural features of the wheel hold-down cylinder provisions;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary top plan view of the equipment, as seen on the motor driven and product discharge side thereof, the view being partially broken away and in horizontal section to show the coaction of fixed air distributor block with and rotating valve orifice components to lower the charge ejectors after they have acted;

FIG. 5A is a view similar to FIG. 5, but as viewed about 180 therefrom in a horizontal plane, the view being partially broken away and sectioned horizontally on line 5A-5A of FIG. 4C to show features of distributor valving to control the elevation of the ejectors;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view corresponding to a part of FIG. 4C, but in larger scale for clarity, showing a master full charge detector valve unit;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary bottom plan view from the line 7 -7 of FIG. 4C, showing the internal passaging of part of a pilot, air operated spool valve unit, multiple identical such valve units being formed in a circular air flow control ring rotating with the forming pockets;

FIGS. 8 and 9 are views in vertical section on lines 8-8 and 9-9, respectively, of FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a schematic layout of the pneumatic pressure system of the equipment, conventional A.S.A. symbols being employed to show various valve components; and

FIG. 11 is a schematic wiring diagram for the apparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The equipment, generally designated by reference numeral 10, for carrying out the method of the invention comprises certain basic rotary and relatively fixed component units or sub-assemblies, best illustrated in the group of related fragmentary FIGS. 4A-4C, considered in conjunction with perspective views I-3; a general description of these will suffice for an understanding of the mode of operation of the apparatus and the nature of the method, as laid out in the most simple way in schematic FIG. 10. A more detailed description of structural features of the several component units will then follow.

The basic rotative structure or sub-assembly of the equipment (FIGS. 43 and 4C) is a horizontally rotary, combined pressure manifold and volumetric weighing, multiple pocket-type charge forming sub-assembly, generally designated by the reference numeral 12, with which various traveling valve and other control and conduit means are associated. Sub-assembly 12 includes a massive cylindrical, but vertically squat, manifold forming rotor block 14 fixed to rotate with and on the top of a valve and cylinder supporting horizontal plate 15, being secured thereto in a manner later described. The manifold and plates rotary drive is through the agency of a massive coaxial, depending spindle 16, which has a central bore 17 throughout its height, and is itself driven, through the agency of a top bull gear 18, by motor driven chain and sprocket means to be described. Column bore 17 receives operating pneumatic pressure, as supplied by various auxiliary agencies later described, through a pressure line 19. This line or conduit opens into a fixed air coupling member 20, with which the bore 17 of rotary column 16 communicates downwardly, the direction of inflow of manifold pressure air being indicated by arrows.

Manifold block 14 is itself provided with four radially extending and equally spaced distributor grooves 22 defining air distribution passages between the manifold block and the coacting rotary valve and cylinder support plate 15. These passages terminate radially short of the periphery of the block 14, communicating downwardly with orifice passages 23 through the rotating support plate 15, there being one such passage for each of a number of charge forming pockets (to be described) of the combined manifold and charge forming unit 12. In the typical machine being described there are 30 such pockets, although the number may be more or less.

The passages 22 communicate radially inwardly with the annular groove 24 of a hollow distributor cap 25 fixed atop the rotary spindle l6; and this cap has four distributor ports 26 communicating radially outwardly with its annular outer groove 24, whereby pressure air is supplied continuously in the operation of the equipment from intake line 19, through spindle bore 17 and distributor passages 22, 23. Each of the latter is in fixed communication, as through a special fitting 27, with a flexible distributor line 28, the purpose of which is hereinafter described. The fittings 27 are preferably in the form of tube fittings having a restrictive orifice.

The second component of the unitary combined manifold-charge forming sub-assembly 12 is, as shown in FIG. 4C, an annular cast charge blending and forming plate or ring, generally designated 30, which is subdivided perimetrically into a plurality of upwardly opening product receiving compartments or pockets 31 (instanced above as being thirty in number), the nature and purpose of which is later described; and each such pocket receives adjacent the bottom thereof a closely fitted, vertically reciprocably acting charge ejector pad 32. Each pad has an operating plunger 33 depending therefrom, the plungers in turn being fixedly but removably connected (for dismantling for service and cleaning) by pull-out clips 33' to the piston rod 34 of an upright, air-operated charge ejector cylinder 35 depending fixedly beneath rotary plate 15, with its piston rod passing through an opening in the plate. The cylinders 35 have a l-% inch bore and a two inch stroke, and are each provided adjacent their upper and lower ends with appropriate fittings connected to flexible air pressure lines 36 and 37. These are pressurized under the control of spool-type pilot valve means, to be described, to shift the ejector platen or pad 32 downwardly and upwardly, respectively.

As appropriate removable and replaceable shim 33" surrounds each plunger rod 33, being disposed in the pocket 31 directly beneath the rod s charge ejector pad 32. Substitution of shims 33" of different thicknesses enable the mass of the product charge or portion to be altered as desired, hence its volumetrically determined weight.

For each of the thirty ejector cylinders 35 a pilot air flow controlling valve unit 38 is fixedly mounted appropriately to the bottom of rotary valve support plate 15, a slidable spool 39 of the valve 38 being schematically indicated in dotted line in FIG. 4C. The valve unit 38 is typically a standard double air pilot-operated, 2 position-detented, 4-way type, such as is supplied by Numatrol under the designation RA 5-0003. Each such valve has an intake fitting connecting to a flexible manifold air pressure discharge line 28, which is supplied from the machines air pressure inlet line 19, in the manner previously described, through manifold 14.

Each valve unit 38 also has radially outward sliding contact with a fixed, ejector up distributor block 40 appropriately supported rigidly beneath one horizontal side of the rotary support plate 15. As appears in FIG. 5A, fixed valve block 40 is located a few degrees past the vertical plane of the axis of the shaft 46 of wheel 45, in the direction of rotation of manifold-former pocket sub-assembly 12. Each valve unit 38 has an air pressure pilot orifice or passage 41 periodically placed in communication with a passage 42 of distributor block 40 in each revolution of the annular array of valves 38. Fixed orifice passage 42 opens to a groove 43 in block 40 facing the outer surfaces of valves 38, and communicates downwardly (FIG. 4C) through an appropriate fitting with a flexible air pressure line or tube 44, whose other connection is later described.

The spool valve units 38 also come in communication, later, i.e., about 180 in the path of each rotation of plate 15, with a fixed, ejector down distributor block 40' (FIG. 5) which is identical to, but at a bit lower elevation than the block 40; and block 40' has an orifice passage 42 and groove 43' these corresponding to the passage 42 and groove 43. Whereas the passage or orifice 42 of the distributor block 40 (FIG. 5A) supplies air to the passage 41 of a valve 38 to pressurize an ejector cylinder 35 upwardly when a full charge in a pocket 31 is detected at fixed detector valve (later described), the function of the second, 180 remote distributor block 40 (FIG. 5) is to pressurize and reset the ejector cylinders 35 downwardly once the full charge has been ejected from a corresponding pocket 31.

Another basic component of the blending and compacting apparatus 10 is a relatively large diameter charge connecting wheel 45 (F IG. 4C) fixedly mounted to a horizontal tubular shaft 46, which shaft extends diametrically across the manifold-charge-blender and former sub-assembly 12, and well beyond its radial extremities. The radial width of the wheel 45 is sufficient to radially span the walls of the pockets 31 (FIG. 4C), and it is rotatable substantially tangentially of the mouths thereof.

As best shown in FIGS. 4A and 5, the shaft 46 has a reduced diameter, left-hand extension 47 which has a quasi-universal, self-adjusting rotary mount in a modified type of ball and socket joint, generally designated 48. The rotary drive of shaft 46 is received at this end of apparatus 10, as well as the geared rotary drive of the sub-assembly 12, and its associated ejector cylinder and valve components 35, 38 on rotary table 15,'employing gear and chain and sprocket means to be described.

At its opposite or right-hand end, as viewed in FIG. 4C, the tubular compactor wheel shaft 46 is journalled by movable bearing means which will permit an appreciable vertical pivoting action of the shaft wheel 45 about the center of the left-hand ball-socket joint 48. To this end, hollow shaft 46 carries an end journal plug 50 which has a reduced stem portion 51 journalled by double ball bearing means 52, the latter means being carried by an appropriate bearing block 53, held down by means to be described.

The general assembly of equipment 10 is completed by a compactor hold cylinder and full charge detector valve sub-assembly, generally designated 55 in FIG. 4C, which is received in a fixed upright tubular housing 56 of square cross section. A 3 inch bore 3 inch stroke wheel hold-down air cylinder 57 of unit 55 is pivotally mounted at its bottom for slight swinging action about a horizontal pivot pin 58 and fixed clevis bracket 59 internally of housing 56. A piston 60 acts vertically within cylinder 57, the pistons upright plunger rod 61 being appropriately coupled to a U-shaped hold-down fork 62, structural features of which are also shown in FIG. 4D and will be later described. It suffices to state here that fork 62 connects upwardly t0 the compactor wheel bearing block 53, which coacts downwardly with a special full charge detector valve unit, generally designated 64, structural features of which best appear in FIG. 6 in larger scale; and valve 64 is in downward communication at its central point, through an appropriate fitting, with a flexible air pressure supply line or conduit 65. The latter is constantly pressurized, as are manifold block 14 and air cylinder 57, as distinguished from the periodic pressurizations of other valve and cylinder components, all as will later be described. Valve 64 also communicates adjacent a radially outward point with the flexible air pressure distribution line or conduit 44, previously described.- Features and operations in the valves functioning in the schematic layout of FIG. 10 will be later described.

Hold-down cylinder 57 has upper and lower fittings placing flexible air lines 66 and 67, respectively, in communication with the cylinder spaces above and below its piston 60.

It is the primary function of the cylinder unit or sub assembly 55, in particular its cylinder 57, to exert a yielding spring hold-down action on the compactor wheel 45, through the agency of the latters bearing block 53; and with this in mind, air pressure will normally be continuously applied to the upper end of holddown cylinder 57 through its line 66, which is, as noted above, continuously pressurized. Pressure through line 67 to the lower end of cylinder 57 is applied only in unusual instances, for example, when it is desired to clean parts, in an emergency, or the like, through the agency of a solenoid-operated valve appearing in FIG. 10.

The air supply and distribution means and the means for operation of full charge detector valve 64, the unit 55 and ejector cylinder valve 38 are supplemented by various other pneumatic circuit provisions which, in the interest of simplicity, it has not been deemed necessary to illustrate and describe with specific reference to structural features. The pressure distribution diagram of FIG. 10, to which reference should now be made, adequately depicts the functioning of all components.

Thus, a main pressure conduit or line 68 supplying air at about 100 psi. from an appropriate pump and/or accumulator system (not shown) enters an fon-off valve 69 controlled at a manual switch panel 70. Valve 69 is typically a Ross 1922-E4001 lockout type, whence pressure air flows in the operation of the system through a series of filters 71, following which the filtered air branches into a system of plural distributing air lines. One of these is a branch line 72 ultimately supplying the manifold rotor block 14, from which line 72 the intake pressure line 65 for valve 64 takes off.

Line 72, is controlled by a suitable pressure switch 74, such as an Allen Bradley 836T-T253J type, which acts as a safety unit to open an electrical circuit of a motor starter, to be described, in the event of a fall-off of pressure; and another branch 75 of line 72 supplies air ultimately to the compactor wheel cylinder 57. The pilot distributor line 44' branches from line 72 to periodically pressurize the fixed ejector down pilot distributor block 40 and the pilot valve passage orifice 41', and that orifice connects through a conduit 76 to the ejector down side of the detented four-way pilot valve 38. Similarly, as pulse-pressurized from each rotating orifice 41 when a charge of product in the corresponding pocket 31 is completed (i.e., upon opening of the detector valve 64), a line 77 connected to the opposite or ejector up side of pilot valve receives pressure. Ejector cylinder is accordingly pressurized through lines 36, 37 at its top or bottom, respectively.

FIG. shows the branch pressure line 75 for holddown cylinder 57 as being controlled by a combined pressure regulator and gauge 78 (Norgren Model I 8-013-212) prior to entering a four-way, solenoid operated, spring offset air valve 79, with which the lines 66, 67 for wheel hold-down cylinder 57 communicate. Valve 79 may be a Numatics model USA4-JB, and is operated by a solenoid 80, which in turn may be controlled through the manual onof switch panel 70. Exhaust lines or conduits 81, 82 connect to valve 79; and the mode of functioning of the latter under the control of its solenoid unit 80 and its offsetting spring 83 will be evident to those skilled in the art.

The branch air line or conduit 72 supplies air through an appropriate conventional pressure regulator 85 and the fixed air coupling to the manifold intake line 19, whence pressure air flows as described above through the bore 17 of rotary manifold spindle 16 (FIG. 4C), manifold passages and orifices 22, 23 and fittings 27 to the several flexible pressure distributor lines 28. As continuously pressurized through rotary manifold block 14, the several pressure lines 28 communicate with the intake side of their respective detented, 4-way pilot valve units 38.

For simplicity, the full pocket detector valve 64 has been schematically depicted in FIG. 10 as being the equivalent of a conventional spring offset valve controlled in opposition to its offset spring by a cam action. That is, the valve is closed by the resilient air pressure effort of compactor wheel cylinder 57, the equivalent of spring 90, and its opening is in response to the ultimately built-up final thickness of the charge in a blending and compactor pocket 31, which is certainly the equivalent of an anti-spring cam action.

In regard to structural features of the various component sub-assemblies or units described above, FIG. 4D,

considered with FIG. 4C, shows the housing 56 of the hold-down cylinder assembly 55 as being welded or otherwise fixedly mounted atop an upper plate 94 of a fixed box-like base cross-structure 95, which is sustained at its ends by leg or column means 96, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. Plate 94 mounts a pair of upright brackets 94' (FIG. 4C) for the fixed pilot air distributor blocks 40 and 40', these brackets being located directly within a continuous annular protective shield 94" depending from the periphery of the rotary valve and cylinder supporting plate 15.

The upper end of the plunger rod 61 of cylinder 57 is (FIG. 4D) received in a central aperture in the bottom cross-piece of hold-down fork 62, the plunger having an enlarged head 96 laterally overlapped the aperture. Accordingly, the cylinder 57 will, under air pressure in its upper half, normally exert a downward resilient action on the hold-down fork 62, which does the same thing to the compactor wheel shaft 46.

To this end, the upwardly extending arms 97 of fork 62 are apertured adjacent their top to receive cylindrical trunion plugs 98 fitted into cross bores 99 of the wheel bearing block 53 receiving and journalling shaft extension plug 51. Appropriate sealing provisions are made to protect the bearing 52. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4D cylinder housing 56 is laterally braded rigidly by a tubular U-shaped yoke 100, which may also house certain electrical wiring, not germane to the invention butshown in FIG. 11.

Reference should be had to FIG. 6 for structural features of the full pocket detector valve unit 64, through which the flow of air is either sealed off (normally) or takes place pulsatingly in accordance with the position of the hold-down wheel 45. Valve 64 is of three-part construction, including an outer valve body 102 snugly fitted into thetop bore (See FIG. 4C) of a fixed closure plug 103 for the top of the cylinder housing 56, an annular top flange 104 of-body 102 being received downwardly onto an annular seat constituted by a top counterbore in closure 103.

The second component of detector valve 64 is a central orifice member 105 having a bottom flange 106 bearing upwardly against the valve body 102 and secured to the latter by screws 107. A central bore of orifree member 105 threadedly receives a fitting 108 to which the air supply conduit or line 65 to valve unit 64 is connected. Orifice member flange 106 is cut away in part to receive a fitting 109 at which the radially offset conduit or line 44 for pilot spool valve block 40 is connected to valve 64. The orifice member 105 has a central body portion 110 fitting snugly into the central bore of valve body member 102, and terminates upwardly in a frusto-conical orifice element 111.

When the machine is in normal operation, the valve orifice element 111 is sealed by a third component of valve unit 64. This is a poppet member 112 having an upwardly extending pressure head 113 normally engaged and urged downwardly by a hardened insert 114 inset into the bottom of the compactor wheels bearing housing 53, i.e., when the compactor wheel 45 is in its normal position as drawn downwardly resiliently by hold-down cylinder 57. Poppet 112 has an in tegral annular depending skirt 115 slidably received in the bore of valve body 102, being externally sealed by an O-ring 116 in the bore; and upward movement of poppet member 1 12 is limited by a removable snap ring 117.

Valve body 102 has a radial passage 118 formed therein, being outwardly closed by a threaded plug, for communication of its center bore with fitting 109 of the pneumatic distributor line 44 and block 40. Accordingly, with the valve poppet member 112 in its down position, the air pressure in supply line 65 is sealed off normally. However, when the charging of any of the traveling product blending and compactor pockets 31 is completed, the charge C acts in the manner of a cam to elevate compactor wheel 45 and its shaft bearing housing block 53. The pressure air in line 65 accordingly lifts poppet member 112, and a flow of the pressure air ensues beneath the latters skirt 115, thence through valve body passage 118 into and out through the line 44 to the distributor block 40, in the direction indicated by arrows in FIG. 6. These air flows are pulsating ones each time the wheel 45 is lifted, as indicated above, consequently of which a spool 39 (FIG. 4C) of a valve 38 is pilot shifted to an ejector up control position, being detented in the position.

Structural features of the charge blending and compacting pockets 31 of the annular part 30 are adequately disclosed in FIGS. 4B and 4C, as supplemented by FIG. 5. In the instanced equipment, there are thirty such pockets in the ring 30, the latter being removably bolted downwardly onto the top of manifold block 14 about the periphery thereof. The pockets 31 are defined and separated from one another by inner and outer annular upright walls 119, 120 of the ring, these walls being integrally connected through the bottom panel 121 of the ring, through apertures in which the ejector cylinder plungers 33 project. Pockets 31 are separated from one another by radial walls 122 coextensive in depth with the walls 119, 120; and all of the walls are edged about the top of each pocket 31 by sharp Stellite knife elements 123.

A circular cover member 125 shields the top of the manifold-blender and compactor unit 12, being provided with a central access stud 126 piloting downwardly and removably into an upper extension 127 of the manifold drive spindle 16 above the latter's air distributor cap member 25; and cover 125 has an annularly stepped and downwardly flanged peripheral formation 128 (FIGS. 48 and 4C). This formation clamps rubber gasket means 129 downwardly onto the Stellite knife edges 123 which outline the tops of the pockets 31.

Reference being had to FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C, the box-like base cross-structure 95 is braced and rigidified between its upper plate 94 and a bottom plate 131 thereof by means of upright pieces 132 top and bottom welded to these plates; and the latter are vertically apertured centrally to fixedly receive an upright tubular housing 133, within which the rotary manifold drive spindle 16 is journalled by upper and lower tapered bearings 134. The lower end of housing 133 has L- section extension means at 135 within which the fixed air coupling 20 for the rotary manifold spindle 16 is mounted, with appropriate sealing means 136 interposed. Adjacent the upper end of housing 133, further suitable sealing means 137 acts between the top of the housing and the driving bull gear 18 for the manifoldforming pocket structure 12.

As appears in FIGS. 4B and 4C, the manifold block 14 is secured downwardly onto the rotary valve and cylinder plate 15 by a series of threaded bolts or studs 139 passing upwardly through bull gear 18 and plate 15 and threaded into the bottom of manifold block 14. The actual heavy drive torque is transmitted through a plurality of heavy duty dowels 140; these are fitted vertically in apertures of manifold block 14 and plate 15 and extend into vertical bores 141 in bull gear 18.

As appears in FIGS. 4A, 4B and 5, the bull gear is a part of a drive gear and chain unit or sub-assembly, generally designated 143, which powers both the rotation of manifold and pocket sub-assembly 12 on an upright axis and the rotation of compactor wheel 45 about a horizontal axis diametral of the sub-assembly 12.

Thus, bull gear 18 meshes outwardly with a small diameter driving pinion 144 keyed to the top of a first, vertically elongated shaft 145 (FIG. 4B) of power gear and chain unit 143, this shaft extending through the base structure cross-plates 94, 131. The shaft has a 3- chain sprocket 146 drivingly secured thereto, as by means of a tapered and keyed sleeve 147, within a bottom housing sub-structure 148 of cross structure 95. An appropriate idler sprocket 149 (FIG. 4A) is also rotatably mounted at the same level, being suitably journalled in depending relation to bottom base plate 131, and retained by a tapered sleeve 149'.

In the interest of simplicity, the driving chain means for sprocket 146 has been omitted from FIGS. 4A and 4B but appears adequately, though schematically and in dotted line, in FIG. 5. As therein shown, such means comprises an endless, triple pass chain 150 trained for drive about an output sprocket 151 of a speed reducer 152 driven by a heavy duty, brake-equipped electric motor 153 rated at, say, 2 h.p. The electrical circuitry system appears in FIG. 11. Chain 150 passes from reducer sprocket 151 about the idler sprocket 149, which is conventionally adjustable to maintain proper chain tension, thence about the sprocket 146 of bull gear pinion drive shaft 145. Rounding sprocket 146, the chain 150 passes about a large diameter sprocket 153' which is secured by a tapered sleeve 154 to drive an upright shaft 155. This shaft is the driver for compactor shaft 46, and it extends through the openings in the plates 94, 131 of the base structure 95, and through a vertically elongated cylindrical housing 156 appropriately mounted rigidly above one end of structure 95, and laterally braced by the yoke member 100, as shown in FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 4A, a cross plate 158 fixed within the closed top of housing 156 mounts an appropriate adjustable bearing 159 to journal the top of wheel drive shaft and a driving bevel gear 160 is keyed on shaft, being located in an aperture in plate 158. The

housing 156 externally mounts the quasi-universal bearing 48 which journals the reduced end 47 of holddown wheel shaft 46; and this shaft end has the tubular hub of a driven bevel gear 161 keyed thereto, being in mesh with the teeth of driving bevel gear 160. The fit of the bevel gear teeth is such as to accommodate the needed upward action of wheel shaft 46 in the operation of equipment 10, as discussed above.

in practice, the compactor wheel 45 is driven at a linear speed a bit less than that of the manifold-forming block 14. The resultant slipping or scuffing action prevents a possible build-up of the product compacted in pockets 31 onto wheel 45. The wheels scuffing action also assists in the severance of the formed product charge by the pocket knife edges 123.

Directly above the horizontal plane of travel of the rotating charge blending, forming and compacting pockets 31, an endless sweep-off belt 162 is trained about the manifold cover plate 125 as a belt driver, this belt being outwardly trained about an idler 163 (FIG. which is adjustable by appropriate means to maintain suitable belt tension.

Hence, as the ejector pads 32 successively eject formed product charges or portions C upwardly from the traveling pockets 31, such portions are deflected by belt 162 onto an appropriate fixed disposal chute or trough 164, from which the charges are removed for possible further processing, as contemplated by my companion co-pending US. Pat. application Ser. No. 875,267, filed Nov. 10, 1969, now US. Pat. No. 3,647,343 of Mar. 7, 1972. While an endless traveling deflecting or sweep-off belt 162 is herein shown, its function might be equally well, or perhaps better, performed by a suitable fixed plough coacting with or even, indeed, a part of the chute 164.

As indicated above, it is believed that the schematic disclosure of FIG. enables the nature of the pressure fluid and flow control system of the apparatus to be understood. In regard to specific structural features of the individual 4-way pilot-controlled and detented spool valve units 38, reference may be had to FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 for more detail of certain of the individual structural features thereof. Thus, the valve units 38 are illustrated each as being embodied in an upper annular valve body or ring 166 secured in depending relation to rotary plate 15, in which ring various flow passages are drilled, and a second, spool valve component member 167, there being one of these for each of the compactor pockets 31. Similarly, the valve ring member 166 has one set of pilot and pressure fluid flow passages (to be described) for each pocket; and each of these sets of passages actually constitutes a pilot and pressure air flow component of one of what are herein referred to as the valve units 38.

In the interest of simplicity, the spool housing valve component 167 has been omitted from FIGS. 7, 8 and 9, but its operation will be self-evident to those skilled in the art. Further in the interest of simplicity, the reference numerals, as primed and double-primed in FIGS. 7-9, designate correspondingly numbered (but unprirned) line or conduit provisions external of pilot valve ring 166 which communicate therewith. See FIGS. 4C, 5, 5A and 10.

Thus, the pressure supply lines 28 from air manifold rotor block 14 are shown as each being in radially outward communication (FIG. 8) with a corresponding aligned passage 28' of the valve unit or set 38, which passage 28' communicates downwardly through a branch 28" with the spool chamber of the individual valve component 167, a plug 168 closing the radially outward end of passage 28. The pilot "ejector up" and ejector down" passages 41, 41', respectively, appear in dotted line in FIG. 8; they are one-eighth inch drilled bores.

As shown in FIG. 9, ring member 166 is placed in communication with the respective ejector down pressure line 36 and ejector up line 37 through radially outwardly extending passages 36', 37', which in turn open downwardly through the respective branches 36" and 37" through the bottom of valve ring member 166. They are pressurized, and so correspondingly pressurize, the conduits 36, 37 leading to the upper and lower halves of the ejector cylinder 35. Threaded plugs 170, 171 close the radially outermost ends of the respective valve ring passages 36', 37'; and a relatively large diameter hole 172 permits application of the plug 170, being itself closed by a larger diameter radially outer threaded plug 173.

Valve ring 166 is provided, as shown in FIG. 7, with enlarged exhaust passages 175 leading from appropriate porting of the spool chamber of spool valve element 39.

The valve rings manifold pressure intake branch 28" and the two output pressure passages 36" and 37" communicate with the spool chambers of the several valve members 167, the two passage branches 36", 37", being opened and closed by the pilot air-governed spool members 39 (FIG. 4C) of valve units 38 as the latter sweep past the fixed pilot air pressure distributor blocks 40, 40 in the rotation of the equipment. The direction of flow of pilot and main pressure air is indicated by dot-dash lines in FIGS. 8 and 9.

Slices of frozen meat product to be processed to the blended charges or portions C, or other laminar or particulate materials to be handled, are fed, as by a continuousiy moving, endless belt conveyor (not shown) into a supply funnel or hopper 177 of machine 10. This is rigidly supported upon the top of the U-shaped yoke 100 by means of an upright post 178 fixed on that member and appropriate divergent bracket arms 179 welded to the sides of hopper 177 and the post.

FIG. 1 1 illustrates electrical components and the wiring system of the equipment 10. It is electrically supplied with 220 volt, three phase current through a ganged master switch 180 appropriately fused at 181, from which the phase line conductors 182 extend. Leads 183 connect from those conductors through motor starter relay contacts 184', suitable overload relays 185 and resistors 186 to the terminals of the 2 hp prime mover motor 153 of the apparatus. A spring-set motor brake has its release solenoid 187 wired to two of the motor leads.

Positive and negative conductors 182 supply the primary winding of a control transformer 189, the secondary of which supplies a control circuit 190 of the equipment, including supply and return leads 191, 192, each equipped with a protective fuse 193.

Conductor 191 is connected to the terminal of a safety limit switch 195, the normally closed contactor of which is physically operated to open the control circuit 190 in the event that an unyielding object traveling with the rotor structure 12 should strike a relatively fixed part.

A push button start switch 196 shunted through a normally open contact 197 of the motor starter solenoid 184 connected between a minus terminal of start switch 196 and a conductor 198 parallelconnected to a terminal of safety limit switch 195. A push button stop switch 199 with a 2-position safe-run switch unit 200 (S-R) series connected between conductor 198 and through a lead 201 with the pressure switch 74, whose function, as described above, is to shut off the motor starter 184 in the event of a material drop-off of air pressure from the desired 100 p.s.i. input; and a terminal pressure switch 74 is connected through overload contacts 202 with a coil terminal of a motor starter relay 184, whose abovedescribed contacts 184' are in the circuit of drive motor 153, and contact 197 is also a contact of the relay 184. The latter is connected at its opposite terminal to the control circuits return conductor 192.

The parallel circuit conductor lead 198 of the control system 190 connects to a manually operated updown selector switch 204, which is wired through a fuse 205 to the coil of the solenoid 80 (FIG. the latter being return connected to lead 192. Switch 204 is manually operated to open the circuit of conductor 198, thus deenergizing solenoid 80, only when it is desired, for emergency or servicing, for instance, to pressurize the lower end of compactor hold-down cylinder 57. This cylinder is, as described above, normally pressurized at its top to serve as a spring holding the compactor wheel 45 down; and thus keeping the valve 64 closed, the latter normally opening a trifle only when a pocket charge C of compacted product raises the compactor wheel. Switches 196, 199, 200 and 204 are housed in a push button control box 205' supported on yoke 100 (FIGS. l-S).

The operation of the apparatus 10 is believed to be reasonably clear from the foregoing description; however, a brief recapitulation may be in order. Slices or other increments of the product to be volumetrically weighed and compacted into a finished charge C are sequentially dropped at a considerable rate of speed into the supply funnel 177, whence they are deposited into the pockets 31, being in many cases partially or wholly severed by the compactor wheel 45 in coaction with the Stellite knife edges 123 of the pockets.

At this time the compactor wheel hold-down cylinder 57 is pressurized downwardly; and the ejector cylinders 35 are also all pressurized downwardly to hold the respective charge ejector pads 32 downwardly upon their volume-control shims 33". Product accummulates rapidly in the individual traveling pockets 31, the random slice distribution ensuring desirable uniformity in character of the make-up and grain of the compacted product.

When a full charge C of product is built up in any traveling pocket, it acts as a cam to elevate the compactor wheel for an instant, thus causing the poppet element l 12 of full charge detector valve 64 to open upwardly under the force of air in the continuously pressurized supply line 65 to the full pocket detector valve 64. The full charge mass C has thus been utilized to physically originate an individual signal for the ejection of the charge from its pocket. A resultant pulse flow of air through the valve 64 and its conduit 44 (FIGS. 4C and 6) as a part of said signal is transmitted through the first fixed distributor block 40 and valve unit 38 to shift its detented spool 39. This occurs, as appears in FIG.

5A, just after the fully charged pocket has passed beneath the axis of compactor wheel 45, and as a result the ejector cylinder 35 for the filled pocket 31 in question is pressurized at its lower end through line 37.

This drives the pockets ejector pad 32 upwardly to clear the compacted charge C above the top of the pocket; and it remains in this elevated position until the charge or portion C strikes the sweep-off belt 162, or equivalent fixed plough member, and is deflected into the disposal chute 164. As removed from this chute, the portion may be subjected to a further manual weight make-up operation and/or may be further compacted for packaging, as by equipment such as is the subject matter of my US. Pat. No. 3,647,343 referred to above.

Directly after the emptied pocket 31 and its ejector pass under the sweep-off member the pilot passage ring 166 comes under the influence of .the second fixed air distributor block 40' (FIG. 5), whereupon the pockets ejector cylinder 35 is pressurized at its top from line 36. The ejector 32 is drawn downwardly onto the pocket shim 33"; and the pocket 31 is in condition for another rotary blending, forming and compacting cycle as described above.

It is of course evident that successive sliced components of the charge or portion C may not always be deposited flat-wise in successive traveling pockets C and that all the charges will build up in a given rotation to the mass necessary to originate an ejector-triggering signal by physically lifting the compactor wheel 45. However, there is no appreciable time lapse between the origination of the first and last of such signals, which originate randomly.

What is claimed is:

l. A method of forming discrete components of food into individual composite food charges, comprising feeding said components into a series of traveling pockets in a manner to deposit said components progressively in substantially successive pockets of the series, continuing such deposition until the components build up in said pockets to a mass constituting the desired in dividual food charges, utilizing said charge masses to physically originate individual signals, and ejecting the food charges from the pockets in response to the respective signals.

2. The method of claim 1, in which said pockets travel in an annular path.

3. The method of claim 1, in which said components are laminar in nature, the charges being laminated meat portions.

4. The method of claim 1, in which said pockets travel in an annular path, said components being laminar in nature, the charges being laminated meat portions.

5. A method of forming laminar meat components into blended meat charges, comprising substantially successively feeding said laminar components flat-wise into a series of traveling forming pockets in a manner to deposit different components of the substantive succession into different pockets of the series, continuing such deposition until the components in said pockets build up to a laminated meat mass constituting the desired individual blended meat charges, utilizing said charge masses to originate individual signals, and ejecting the charges from the pockets in response to the respective signals.

6. The method of claim 5, in which the pocket series ravels rotatively and the charges are ejected under "luid pressure in response to said signals, the signals themselves being at least in part represented by flows of fluid.

7. A method of forming laminar meat components into blended meat charges, comprising slicing a unit of the meat to provide said laminar components, substantially successively feeding said components flat-wise into a series of traveling forming pockets in a manner to deposit different components of the substantive succession into different pockets of the series, continuing such deposition until the components in said pockets build up to a laminated meat mass constituting the desired individual blended meat charges, compressing and utilizing said charge masses to originate individual signals, and ejecting the charges from the pockets in response to the respective signals.

8. The method of claim 7, in which the pocket series travels rotatively and the charges are ejected under fluid pressure in response to said signals, the signals themselves being at least in part represented by flows in a manner to deposit different components of the substantive succession into different pockets of the series, continuing said deposition until the components in said pockets build up to a laminated meat mass constituting the desired individual blended meat charges, compressing and utilizing said charge masses to physically originate individual signals, and ejecting the charges from the pockets in response to the respective signals.

10. The method of claim 9, in which the pocket series travels rotatively and the charges are ejected under fluid pressure in response to said signals, the signals themselves being at least in part represented by flows of fluid. 

1. A method of forming discrete components of food into individual composite food charges, comprising feeding said components into a series of traveling pockets in a manner to deposit said components progressively in substantially successive pockets of the series, continuing such deposition until the components build up in said pockets to a mass constituting the desired individual food charges, utilizing said charge masses to physically originate individual signals, and ejecting the food charges from the pockets in response to the respective signals.
 2. The method of claim 1, in which said pockets travel in an annular path.
 3. The method of claim 1, in which said components are laminar in nature, the charges being laminated meat portions.
 4. The method of claim 1, in which said pockets travel in an annular path, said components being laminar in nature, the charges being laminated meat portions.
 5. A method of forming laminar meat components into blended meat charges, comprising substantially successively feeding said laminar components flat-wise into a series of traveling forming pockets in a manner to deposit different components of the substantive succession into different pockets of the series, continuing such deposition until the components in said pockets build up to a laminated meat mass constituting the desired individual blended meat charges, utilizing said charge masses to originate individual signals, and ejecting the charges from the pockets in response to the respective signals.
 6. The method of claim 5, in which the pocket series travels rotatively and the charges are ejected under fluid pressure in response to said signals, the signals themselves being at least in part represented by flows of fluid.
 7. A method of forming laminar meat components into blended meat charges, comprising slicing a unit of the meat to provide said laminar components, substantially successively feeding said components flat-wise into a series of traveling forming pockets in a manner to deposit different components of the substantive succession into different pockets of the series, continuing such deposition until the components in said pockets build up to a laminated meat mass constituting the desired individual blended meat charges, compressing and utilizing said charge masses to originate individual signals, and ejecting the charges from the pockets in response to the respective signals.
 8. The method of claim 7, in which the pocket series travels rotatively and the charges are ejected under fluid pressure in response to said signals, the signals themselves being at least in part represented by flows of fluid.
 9. A method of blending and forming laminar meat components into blended meat charges, comprising assembling tiers of meat material for said components into a self-sustaining unit, slicing said unit to provide said laminar components, substantially successively feeding said meat components flat-wiSe and randomly into a series of traveling blending and forming pockets in a manner to deposit different components of the substantive succession into different pockets of the series, continuing said deposition until the components in said pockets build up to a laminated meat mass constituting the desired individual blended meat charges, compressing and utilizing said charge masses to physically originate individual signals, and ejecting the charges from the pockets in response to the respective signals.
 10. The method of claim 9, in which the pocket series travels rotatively and the charges are ejected under fluid pressure in response to said signals, the signals themselves being at least in part represented by flows of fluid. 